3rd Week in Ordinary Time (Year A) : Sunday 22nd January 2023

According to Matthew, as soon as Jesus began to preach the Gospel, He started gathering disciples around Him. These four disciples did not constitute a community, much less the Church. Yet it is important to see the nucleus of the Church in this initial group, especially as Peter, James and John would form a core group within the Twelve Apostles. They would accompany Jesus on the Mount of the Transfiguration and in the Agony in the Garden. It is intriguing to see that Andrew, one of these first four, is not in that core group apart from Mark 13:3, where he joined with Peter, James and John in asking the question which led to Jesus’ teaching about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world.

These four men had many life-changing experiences before they came to Pentecost and became the Church. They all had a very special, intimate relationship with Jesus, who taught them patiently and lovingly and eventually called them by name to be His Apostles. They shared in Jesus’ public life; they were present at the Last Supper. They encountered the Risen Jesus and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the grace of faith and our vocation to be Your disciples. Draw us to greater intimacy with You.